


Take My Hand

by waveryder



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: A Happy Ending, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Nate is kind of a mess, Porn With Plot, Ray has a bit of a freak out, and by happy i mean Happy, bottom Ray Palmer, top Nate Heywood, wink wink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 00:40:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11956089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waveryder/pseuds/waveryder
Summary: He grabs Nate's slacks and hangs them over his arm, but a small clattering grabs Ray’s attention.He looks down and by his foot is a small black box. Ray stoops down and picks it up. Velvet.He opens it and his jaw drops.Inside is a ring, a shiney silver band, nestled in the tight cushion. Ray looks at the piece of jewelry with wide eyes.No. It can't be.





	Take My Hand

The first thing Ray does as he slowly wakes up is reach over next to him, expecting to feel Nate. Instead he just feels cold bed sheets. He turns his head and blinks at the empty spot and yawns. He might as well get up.

 

“Gideon?” Ray calls, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

 

“Yes, Dr. Palmer?” the AI responds.

 

“Is everyone up already?” Ray stretches, so hard his back cracks.

 

“Yes, Dr. Heywood is in the galley, along with Miss Jiwe, and Mr. Jackson,” Gideon replies.

 

“Thank you, Gideon,” Ray says, finally getting up.

 

He's still naked and quite sore from the previous night’s activities. Nate had planned out a whole date night, one of the first nights they had been able to have to themselves in a while. Hunting down and fixing aberrations leaves little downtime, and Nate took full advantage of the window of freedom they had.

 

Ray picks up a pair of sweats from the floor and slips them on and starts picking up articles of clothing that had been strewn about in a rush the night before.

 

He grabs Nate's slacks and hangs them over his arm, but a small clattering grabs Ray’s attention.

 

He looks down and by his foot is a small black box. Ray stoops down and picks it up. Velvet.

 

He opens it and his jaw drops.

 

Inside is a ring, a shiney silver band, nestled in the tight cushion. Ray looks at the piece of jewelry with wide eyes.

 

_No. It can't be._

 

He quickly snaps the box shut and stuffs it back into the pocket of Nate's pants.

 

Ray grabs the rest of the clothes and either puts them away or tosses them into the hatch built into the wall.

 

As he walks out into the hallway, he feels his brain begin to calculate.

 

If that's what Ray thinks it is, why didn't Nate give it to him last night? Why didn't he pop the question? Ray’s mind races a mile a minute, coming up with reason after reason, none of which really help ease Ray's rapidly beating heart.

 

He's unaware he's reached the galley until he hears a boisterous laugh. _Nate_.

 

“Hey!” Nate greets as Ray walks into the room.

 

He, Jax, and Amaya are sat together at the table, and Ray walks up to join them. On instinct Ray leans down and meets Nate halfway to kiss him good morning.

 

“‘Bout time you woke up,” Nate says pulling out the chair next to him so Ray can sit down. “Hungry?”

 

“Uh, sure - yeah,” Ray stutters, taking the seat.

 

Nate gets up, grabbing his now empty plate and walks over the island towards the fabricator.

 

“We actually made breakfast this morning,” Jax comments.

 

“ _We_?” Amaya quips. “You mean Nate and I made breakfast while you stood around snatching freshly cooked bacon.”

 

“The point is,” Jax deflects, “this is actual homemade breakfast.”

 

“Don't you just get the ingredients from the fabricator anyway?” Ray says.

 

“Well, yeah, but it's still homemade,” Jax retorts.

 

Ray lets it go when Nate comes back and places a plate in front of him, full of bacon, eggs, fruit, and pancakes.

 

“Those are gluten free, BTW,” Nate says, actually saying the letters out loud. A habit he picked from Ray.

 

He kisses the top of Ray's head and sits back down, sitting a cup of Ray’s special coffee in front of him, and holding his own regular coffee.

 

Ray tucks into his breakfast, observing Nate, Jax, and Amaya as they talk to one another. He glances at Nate every now and then, between looking down at his food and coffee.

 

Nate's very attentive to Ray's needs, something he had to learn to be honestly. The man was too distracted mostly, too stuck in his own world to pay attention to the rest of it around him. But he made an effort for Ray. Wants him to be happy, and does everything within his power to make sure of it.

 

Which is why Ray feels an uneasy weight in his chest. He’s still trying to find plausible reasons for Nate holding on to the ring.

 

 _Maybe he just isn't ready yet_ , Ray's mind supplies. _After all, he_ does _have the ring. He plans to ask me. Right?_

 

_What if he's changed his mind? About everything. About me._

 

No. Ray refuses to think that way.

 

And yet, he begins to replay his past romances. Losing Anna and never thinking he could be happy again. Falling in love with Felicity only to be left in the dust. Building a life with Kendra and then having it all fall apart, leaving him heartbroken.

 

What if it happens all over again with Nate? What if he isn't enough anymore? Just like before.

 

“Ray?” Nate’s voice breaks Ray free from his thoughts. Ray just blinks at him. “Hey, you okay?” There's concern in his eyes, and his hand is warm on Ray’s shoulder.

 

Ray plasters on a smile, builds that wall up, puts the mask back on.

 

“Yeah, I think I’m still bushed from, uh, last night,” he says and blushes because Jax and Amaya are _right there_.

 

Nate chuckles and lets a cocky smile spread across his face.

 

“That's what happens when you spend a night with Steel,” Nate says.

 

Amaya groans and Jax rolls his eyes, tossing a piece of cold bacon at Nate’s head.

 

“ _Nate_ ,” Ray chides.

 

“ _Sorry_ ,” Nate says with a small laugh. “Love you.” He leans forward, pursing his lips, asking Ray for a kiss and Ray indulges him.

 

“As much as I’d love to watch this sickeningly adorable display of affection,” Amaya quips, standing from the table, “I’m meeting Sara in the brig to spar.”

 

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Nate says, earning a napkin to the head. “Will people stop throwing things at my face!”

 

Jax chuckles and pushes his chair back.

 

“Yeah, I’m going too,” he says. “Me and Grey are gonna practice some more transmutation. The other day we turned Mick’s punching bag into marbles.”

 

“And you’re still standing?” Ray asks, eyes wide.

 

“Can’t fight fire with fire,” Jax says, taking one last bite of bacon before he walks out.

 

“That’s not how the saying goes,” Ray sighs. He looks down at his plate and while the first few bites weren’t that bad, he doesn’t have much of an appetite anymore.

 

“You sure you’re okay?” Nate asks, sliding his hand to the back of Ray’s neck, massaging the tense muscle there.

 

Ray gives Nate another small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay, guess I wasn’t that hungry after all.”

 

Nate hums, glancing between Ray and his plate.

 

“Well, since we’re just floating through the temporal zone, I figured another day to ourselves is in order,” Nate says. “Or are you still too tired from last night.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

 

“Uh, actually, I just wanted to work on some modifications to my suit,” Ray says.

 

Nate’s face only falls a little before he schools his expression back to something more neutral, something soft.

 

“Yeah, for sure,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “I guess I should be doing some research.” He points to Ray’s plate, silently asking him if he’s done. Ray nods and Nate takes the plate full of half eaten food.

 

Ray laughs through his nose, watching Nate finish off his remaining breakfast. He tries to shake the feeling in his chest, like something is chipping away at the walls of his heart.

 

_This is fine. Everything is going to be fine._

 

* * *

 

So, Ray does what he does best in situations like these. He gives the other person space, without actually telling the other person he’s giving them space. So, he avoids them, is what he does. It’s not that Ray is afraid of confrontation, he just doesn’t know how to approach… _this_.

 

He didn’t lie, he did want to tweak bits and pieces of his suit, so he locked himself away in his lab, as he usually does.

 

He figured Nate would’ve done the same in the library. They’re both very similar in that respect. Each gets engrossed in their work, forgetting the outside world exists, forgetting even the most basic things like eating and showering.

 

So Ray isn’t too worried.

 

Until Nate starts seeking him out.

 

He stopped by the lab, tried to get flirty, but Ray deflected his advances with excuses of needing to finish repairs in case they got called to an emergency.

 

“You don’t want me to be caught with a faulty firing system, do you hon?” Ray asks, light and playful so as to not draw suspicion.

 

“Yeah, I guess not,” Nate sighs, lifting himself from Ray’s lap. “Just… don’t get too carried away in here, okay? Let’s have dinner tonight, just you and me?”

 

Ray wants to melt at the pleading look in Nate’s eyes. He feels a pull at his heart.

 

“Yeah, of course,” he tugs Nate down to kiss him, and watches as the historian leaves the lab.

 

_Everything is fine._

 

* * *

 

Sara corners him in the cargo bay as he’s testing out his tech.

 

“What’s going on with you and Nate?” She asks, blocking the stairway out. Ray doesn’t even try to push past her, too aware that Sara could easily take him down.

 

“Nothing?” Ray says, fiddling with the buttons on his arm piece.

 

“Oh, yeah?” Sara says. “They why did he just spend ten minutes babbling to me about how weird you’ve been acting today?”

 

Ray snaps his gaze to Sara, whose eyebrows are raised up to her hair line.

 

“I’m not being weird,” Ray stutters.

 

Sara purses her lips and walks further into the room.

 

“Look, I’m happy for you two, really,” Sara says. “With our line of work, romance isn’t exactly easy to come by. You guys have that.”

 

She crosses her arms over her chest and, oh boy, Ray does not want to be on the receiving end of that look she’s giving him.

 

“That being said,” she says coming up to him. The woman barely reaches his shoulders, but she’s more intimidating than Vandal Savage ever was. “We all have to live together, and I don’t want anything getting in between the team, like you two -”

 

“He was gonna propose,” Ray says.

 

Sara’s mouth hangs open as she stares up at Ray.

 

“Propose?” she asks.

 

Ray nods and takes off the blaster.

 

“And, what? He changed his mind?” she asks.

 

Ray sighs, and sits down on one of the crates.

 

“Maybe?” he says.

“Maybe? Ray, what’s going on here?”

 

“I found the ring. The box fell out of his pants pocket and I looked inside. And there it was.” Ray stares down at his hands in his lap, at his vacant left ring finger. “I think he was going to ask me during our night out last night.”

 

“But he didn’t,” Sara states more than asks. Ray shakes his head.

 

Suddenly he can’t stop all his thoughts from spilling out of his mouth.

 

“That could mean anything, right?” he asks. Then his stomach drops.

 

“Oh God, what if he’s changed his mind. Not just about marriage, but about being a couple. What if he doesn’t want to be with me anymore?” Panic creeps it’s way into Ray’s voice, and he begins to wring his hands together, gripping his fingers. “And what if he feels to awkward about breaking up with me? Because we all live together and we’re supposed to be a team and he doesn’t want to make things weird.”

 

Sara opens her mouth to speak, but Ray just goes on.

 

“Oh no, I don’t want him to feel stuck,” Ray says. “Should I break up with him? Do you think that would make things easier, if I -”

 

“Ray!” Sara snaps and Ray immediately clamps his mouth. “Don’t you think you should be talking to Nate about this?”

 

Ray stares at her with wide eyes.

 

“I…” he starts, but words fail him. He should be talking to Nate about this, but. “I’m scared.”

 

Much to Ray’s surprise, Sara’s eyes soften a bit.

 

“What if everything I’m afraid of is true?” he asks.

 

“Well, you’ll never know until you actually ask him,” she says. “But you can’t keep avoiding him, and this is obviously driving you crazy.”

 

She stands from the crate and makes her way to the stairs.

 

“Just fix this, Ray,” she says and bounds up the stairs and out of the room.

 

Ray is left to sit there, and do nothing else but think.

 

_Everything is going to be fine._

 

* * *

 

“Hey, handsome,” Nate chimes from the doorway of Ray’s lab. “Come here often?”

 

Ray turns his attention to Nate, who is leaning against the doorframe, and grins at him.

 

“Hey, what’s up?” Ray asks, sticking a pencil behind his ear.

 

“Oh, nothing, I was just waiting on my boyfriend,” Nate says, pushing off from the door and walking towards Ray. “You know, since we were supposed to have dinner together.”

 

Ray shuts his eyes and groans. “I’m sorry, I got -”

 

“Caught up in here,” Nate says, but he’s not annoyed, just understanding. “I figured. Time is fake anyway, we can have dinner whenever we want.”

 

He stalks over and turns Ray’s chair so it's facing him, landing to straddle Ray’s lap. Ray's large hands land instinctively on Nate’s hips, holding him steady.

 

“Like, right now?” Nate asks, resting his arms over Ray’s shoulders.

 

Ray thinks back to his conversation with Sara.

 

“Yeah, dinner sounds great,” Ray says.

 

Nate grins and leans in to press his lips to Ray's. It's not a chaste kiss. Nate moves his hands to cradle the back of Ray’s head, threading his fingers through thick locks. He gives a slight tug and Ray sighs into the kiss, as Nate presses his tongue against Ray’s lips, asking to be let in. Ray lets him, parting his mouth, granting Nate access, letting their tongues mingle, lips moving in tandem.

 

Ray's hands move from Nate's hips, sliding up to his waist. He slips them under Nate’s shirt, caressing soft warm skin.

 

“Let's have dinner,” Nate says breaking the kiss, “and we can continue this after.” His voice is low, husky, and it makes the blood in Ray's head travel to his groin.

 

He nods and Nate leads him to the galley.

 

They have dinner, but Ray doesn't do much talking about the ring. There isn't much talking done after either.

 

* * *

 

“Nate,” Ray gasps. “Fuck yes, right there.”

 

Nate grips Ray's hips, drawing him closer as he thrusts forward. He slides his hands down Ray's legs, grabbing his calves and wrapping them around his waist. He angles his hips, tilting upwards, finding Ray’s sweet spot, hitting it over and over again.

 

“ _God_!” Ray moans, feeling Nate pound at his prostate.

 

“My name’s Nate, but I’ll answer to God, too,” Nate says, smirk evident in his voice.

 

“Ugh, shut up you dork,” Ray laughs, reaching out to tug Nate down for a kiss. “Shut up, and fuck me.”

 

Ray presses his hips up to meet Nate's thrusts, but Nate grabs him, and holds him still. He presses close, burying himself balls deep, earning a choked off moan from Ray.

 

“Say please,” Nate says, voice low and lips ghosting Ray's.

 

When Ray doesn't respond, he pushes forward, pressing closer, and Ray can feel him digging deeper. He doesn't even know how that's possible.

 

“Be a good boy, and say please,” Nate growls.

 

“Nate,” Ray whimpers.

 

“Uh huh?” Nate says. “What is it, baby?” His voice comes out soft and gentle.

 

“ _Please_!” Ray breathes out.

 

“Atta boy,” Nate says.

 

He pulls out slowly, his hands moving down to Ray’s ass, spreading his cheeks, spreading him open. Ray leaves his legs open wide, giving Nate ample room to move.

 

“What do you want, sweetheart?” Nate asks, voice sickeningly sweet.

 

He pulls out far enough so just the head of his cock is pressed inside of Ray’s ass, the tight ring of muscles clinging right at the ridge.

 

“Anything,” Ray says. “God, _Nate_ , anything, _please_.”

 

“Well, since you ask so nicely…” Nate slowly pushes back in, only an inch or so, and pulls back out. “I'm still not sure you've been good enough.”

 

Ray whimpers and moans.

 

“Do you think you've been good?” Nate asks, pressing in a tiny bit more.

 

Ray looks up at Nate, big brown eyes silently pleading, and nods hastily.

 

“Yeah?” Nate asks in return, moving his hands to grab Ray’s thighs. “Yeah, you've been so good, baby.” Nate slides further in, achingly slow.

 

“Such a good boy,” Nate presses back into the hilt, balls resting right against Ray’s ass.

 

He pulls out almost all the way, and thrusts forward, hard. Ray grips at bed sheets as Nate gains a steady rhythm, thrusting slow and hard. The steady drag of Nate’s cock against his walls, catching on his prostate as he moves in and out, is enough to drive him mad.

 

Nate pushes Ray’s legs up a little higher, lifting his hips to angle his thrusts deeper. Nate picks up the pace, his hips snapping forward with more force, as he drives into Ray over and over again.

 

Nate’s hand moves to take hold of Ray’s cock, thumbing at the head, spreading the precome over it and down past the ridge. He's so wet with it, it makes Nate’s motions deliciously slick. He jerks him off in time with his thrusts, sliding and twisting his hand, occasionally stopping to focus on the head, using the suction of his palm over the sensitive skin.

 

“Nate - Nate,” Ray cries out, needy and desperate. “So good - it feels so good - _yes_!”

 

Nate continues to pull moans, whimpers, and half muttered words from Ray's lips. Every thrust calling forward noises only Nate gets to hear.

 

Ray white knuckles the bed sheet, eyes screwed shut, body jolting as Nate plunges into his body, pounding him relentlessly.

 

Just as Ray reaches the edge, close enough to fall, Nate stills and takes his hand away from Ray’s swollen cock. Ray’s eyes snap open and he stares Nate down, silently begging him to start moving again.

 

Nate leans down, as though he’s about to kiss Ray, but stops mere centimeters from his face.

 

“I want you on top,” he whispers, and Ray could come right then and there.

 

“Yes, _God_ , yes!” he says instead.

 

Nate pulls out quickly, and they flip positions. Ray scrambles to cling over Nate’s body, as the man lays on his back.

 

“So eager to please,” Nate comments as Ray straddles him.

 

Ray doesn't say anything, just reaches for the bottle of discarded lube that lay on the mattress. He reaches behind him and slicks Nate’s cock up once more, stroking him a few times. He moves forward slightly, positioning himself, and with mischievous smile he grinds down, sliding Nate’s cock between his ass cheeks.

 

“ _Fuck_ , Ray,” Nate groans, gripping Ray’s thighs.

 

Ray looks down at Nate, smile still on his lips. He slides his hands over Nate’s chest, over his pecs and thumbs at his pert nipples, earning a gasp from the man beneath him. He leans down to nip, suck, and press kisses to Nate’s neck as he continues to stroke his thumbs over Nate’s nipples. He moves his hips, feeling the slick slide of Nate’s cock between his ass.

 

Suddenly, he feels Nate’s hand grab his cheeks, spreading them open, and feels the head of Nate’s cock prod against his hole.

 

Ray sits up a bit and reaches behind him to grasp Nate’s dick, guiding it inside him.

 

They both moan, Nate at the velvet smooth heat surrounding his length, and Ray at the sweet stretch of Nate’s thick cock spreading him open.

 

Ray sits all the way down on Nate's dick, resting on his lap. Ray’s entire body is flushed and Nate gazes up at him, taking in the gorgeous sight before him. Ray’s hunched over slightly, braced against Nate’s chest, eyes screwed shut.

 

Ray finally looks right at Nate, silently asking, _begging_ to be fucked. Nate obliges, pressing his feet to the mattress, grounding himself. He pulls Ray down, hugging his body close, arms wrapped tight around Ray’s waist and gives a hard thrust up.

 

Ray yelps into Nate’s neck, fizzling out into a quiet whimper, and Nate stays pressed inside him. He slides his hands back down to Ray’s rear and grips his cheeks.

 

“You ready, baby?” Nate whispers into Ray’s ear.

 

Ray nods into the crook of Nate’s neck, a small _please_ falling from his lips.

 

Nate chuckles, presses a kiss to Ray’s shoulder, and thrusts upward, sliding in deep.

 

Ray stills and let's Nate take him, pushing up and into his body, cock hitting him hard. He sees stars behind his eyelids, feels his heart beating in his ears, and it's amazing.

 

He's close, so he pushes himself up and leans back. He looks down at Nate, and with that same mischievous smile he rolls his hips, feeling Nate’s length moves inside him.

 

Nate groans and his hands move back to Ray’s thighs and grabs them. Ray continues to move, rolling and circling his hips, feeling that sweet pressure against the bundle of nerves deep inside him. The slow motion is enough to bring them close to them edge.

 

“Are you close?” Ray asked through ragged breaths.

 

“Yeah,” Nate replies, moving his hips in rhythm with Ray’s.

 

“Me too,” Ray says, lifting himself up.

 

Nate’s cock nearly pops free from his body before he lowers himself back down on it. He does it again and again, faster each time.

 

“ _Shit_ ,” Nate gasps.

 

He reaches out, wrapping his hand around Ray’s achingly hard cock, but Ray moves his hand away.

 

“Don't touch me,” Ray says. “ I wanna come just like this, just by riding you.”

 

“ _God_ ,” Nate groans.

 

“Name’s Ray, but -” Ray tries to make the same joke, but Nate growls, grabs onto Ray’s hips and begins to move in tandem with Ray.

 

He pounds into Ray's body, hard, and Ray’s words fizzle out into heady moans.

 

They're both so close, teetering on the edges of their orgasms.

 

“Gonna come - _Nate_ \- I'm gonna -” Ray gasps.

 

“Me too,” Nate replies.

 

“Come inside me,” Ray commands, and he does.

 

With one final thrust, Nate bursts inside Ray, burying himself deep.

 

Ray feels Nate’s cock pulse inside him, and the pressure of being filled pushes him over the edge. He cries out as he comes, spurting over his stomach, his come falling onto Nate’s as well.

 

They both ride out the ends of their climax, breathing hard, twitching and shaking. Ray falls forward, forehead resting on Nate’s shoulder, and Nate’s hand finds it way to Ray’s head, carding his fingers through the man's hair.

 

“You okay?” Nate asks. He can feel Ray’s body trembling against his.

 

Ray nods and kisses his way to Nate’s mouth. Their lips meet, tongues touching and sliding, slow and lazy in their post-coital bliss.

 

Ray rolls off of Nate, wincing slighting as Nate slips free from his body, followed by Nate’s release. Nate reaches over the side of the bed, plucks his discarded boxers from the ground, and uses the piece of clothing to clean himself off. He rolls over to face Ray and does the same for him. He tosses the boxers off to the side, who knows where they land, and tugs Ray close to him. The other man tucks his head under Nate’s chin and slides his arm over Nate’s middle, cuddling close.

 

“I love you,” Nate says, his fingers finding their way back to Ray’s hair. “So much.”

 

Ray doesn’t know why he says it, can’t really control it, but he does.

 

“Then why didn’t you ask me?” he blurts, immediately regretting it.

 

“Ask you what?” Nate asks.

 

Ray squeezes his eyes closed, wondering if he can deflect, make an excuse, anything. But his mind has no plans of doing that.

 

“I found the ring,” Ray says.

 

He feels Nate’s hand still, and his breath hitch in his chest. He wants to take it back.

 

“I wasn’t snooping, promise!” Ray adds hastily. “This morning, I was picking up our clothes, and the box fell out of your pants pocket. I was curious and I opened it and I… I saw it.”

 

Ray pulls back from Nate to get a better look at the historian’s face. Nate stares up at the ceiling for a moment before turning to look at Ray, who is staring back with wide, questioning eyes.

 

“Ray, I -” Nate starts.

 

There’s a moment of silence and Ray feels the panic rise in his chest. The same panic he’s been feeling throughout the day. The dread, _the fear_ . _God_ , he doesn’t want to lose Nate.

 

“Nate?” Ray asks.

 

“I don’t know, I just…” he scrubs a hand down his face, “I figured a ring or a piece of paper didn’t really matter, considering what we do. We can’t exactly have the white picket fence life that comes with marriage.”

 

Ray swallows. “Did you… did you change your mind? About us?”

 

“What? Ray, no -”

 

“Because if you want out, it’s - it’s okay,” Ray says. “I get it, we do work together and a bad break up would make things really awkward on the ship, but it doesn’t have to be. I am still really happy being your friend and I don’t regret any of this -”

 

“Ray,” Nate says, but Ray keeps going.

 

“I just don’t want you to be stuck in a relationship you’re unhappy with, to stay in this just because of me,” Ray rambles on. “I don’t want to lose you. You’re my best friend, whether or not we’re together, and -”

 

“ _Ray_ ,” Nate snaps firmly.

 

Ray sucks in a stuttered breath and blinks up at Nate with red eyes. Nate shifts to sit up against the wall, pulling Ray with him, closer against him. He guides Ray’s head to rest at the crook between his neck and shoulder, and runs his fingers through Ray’s hair.

 

“I have never had any doubts about us,” Nate says, almost whispers. “From the moment we found you, when you made that stupid Jurassic Park joke,” he pauses to chuckle fondly, “I was gone.”

 

Ray’s arm tightens around Nate’s torso and he smiles against Nate’s skin.

 

“Even with the caveman beard?” Ray asks, voice wavering slightly, trying to keep his emotions in check.

 

“It certainly was a look,” Nate replies. Nate grabs Ray’s arm slung over his middle, thumb stroking his bicep. “Ray, you are the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate man I’ve ever met. You let me make my own dumb decisions, and never judge me when they’re bad ones.”

 

When he feels Ray bury his face in his neck, he moves his hand from Ray’s arm to his chin, tilting it up to meet his eyes.

 

“You make me a better man, so I can be better for you,” Nate says softly. “There is no one else, in all of time and space, I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

 

Nate carefully pulls himself from Ray’s hold and moves over to the small closet in the corner of the room. He rummages through his coat pocket and extracts the small velvet box. He walks over to the bed and gets down on one knee in front of it.

 

Ray props himself up onto his side and stares at Nate, eyes red and watery.

 

“Nate, you don’t have to -”

 

“I want to,” Nate says. “I really do. We may not get a white picket fence, but considering we get to travel through time in a spaceship, I’ll take it. As long as I get to do all of this with you.”

 

He beckons Ray to scoot closer with a nod of his head, and Ray does, sliding his left hand over the cooling sheets of the mattress, closer towards Nate.

 

“So, Raymond Palmer,” Nate says, opening the box, revealing the shiny metal band inside, plucking it from the cushion, “will you make me the happiest man in any and every time period we ever visit, and marry me?”

 

Ray let out a shaky laugh, sniffing as he nods.

 

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” Ray says.

 

Nate grabs Ray’s hand and slips the ring onto his finger. He lifts his hand and cups the side of Ray’s face, guiding him down for a kiss.

 

“Can I get up now?” Nate asks against Ray’s mouth. “The floor is very hard.”

 

Ray chuckles and leans back onto the mattress.

 

“Get up here,” he says, opening his arms so Nate can crawl back into bed.

 

With a groan, Nate picks himself up off the ground and climbs onto the mattress, nestling right in Ray’s arms, with Ray spooned behind him. Ray grabs the comforter and drapes it over them.

 

He laces his hand, now adorned with the ring, with Nate’s, and sighs.

 

“Do I get to give you a ring?” Ray asks softly.

 

“Uh, I didn’t make one for myself,” he huffs. “I didn’t plan that far ahead.”

 

“Can I design it?” Ray asks, hope lacing his words.

 

Nate cranes his neck to nuzzle at Ray’s jaw, pressing a few kisses there.

 

“Yeah, I’d like that,” he whispers.

 

Ray presses his face to the back of Nate’s neck, the short hairs tickling his nose, and smiles.

 

_Everything is just fine._

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to [ruth](https://ruthc93.tumblr.com/) for the beta! you're the best!
> 
> comments and kudos always appreciated! <3
> 
> find me @ [bottomraypalmer](https://bottomraypalmer.tumblr.com/)


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